Step back, turn and drive!

I have been enjoying getting out fairly regularly of late on the smaller fatter days using the 9' Walden Mega Magic. If I get the right conditions I end up having a terrific time but if they are not quite so good it can be pretty frustrating. This is mainly because I still haven't got my pop up back and am tending to scrabble up unless the wave really jacks up and I am better able to get straight to my feet.
It always takes me a few take offs to make the change from having surfed a mat to being back on a longboard. On a mat I am so used to taking off deep in the pocket and driving straight into the wave that getting that gliding top of the wave longboard thing happening on the take off can elude me for awhile. Once I am up though, the Walden just hollers out to be stepped back on, turned and driven hard across the face from up near the nose. I cannot remember any of my previous longboards having quite such a particular effect on my surfing but my god I am enjoying it! Oh and I reckon I am very close now to swinging my legs straight through again as I could have today but just forgot to as I have not yet quite set the habit and lack a little confidence that I have regained the strength required.